The Ice Queen—Lorelei!
Lucas was almost entirely certain of his guess now.
The intense chill swept through the hall like a flood, making even those dressed lightly break out in goosebumps. And this terrifying drop in temperature? It wasn't even from an ongoing attack—just the lingering frost after a single Blizzard had ended!
There were only a few in the entire world who possessed such horrifying Ice-type mastery. And within Kanto, excluding the impossible candidate—the Masked Man—there was only one person who fit the profile.
Under everyone's shocked gaze, a woman with long purple hair, dressed in a black knee-length dress and black high heels, slowly entered. Her icy gaze swept across the hall like a blade.
Her flowing black dress revealed an enchanting, alluring figure and a stunning face that could dazzle anyone. But at that moment, almost no one dared to meet her gaze directly.
Because the aura around Lorelei was freezing—not just cold in temperature, but emotionally too. Her frosty eyes made people's spines tremble.
"Lorelei…!" Archer's expression twisted the moment he recognized her.
"Damn it, why the hell is Lorelei here!?"
His eyes darkened. The S.S. Anne operation should have been airtight—something he thought of spontaneously and executed without delay. Even if the League received an SOS, it should've been far too late for them to respond.
And yet now, not only had the League found out, but one of the Kanto Elite Four—Lorelei herself—was already on board!
How was this even possible!?
Even if a passenger had sent out a distress signal… timing aside, how could she have located the S.S. Anne in the vast open sea so accurately?
Unless Lorelei had a tracker on one of the passengers!
"…Thank goodness Mr. Lucas is here."
Archer's thoughts steadied a bit. He glanced at Lucas, who was watching Lorelei with a curious expression.
That brute Surge finally did something right—bringing Lucas into this operation!
Otherwise, Archer suspected he might've been turned into an ice sculpture and sunk into the sea by now.
He didn't doubt for a second how much Lorelei despised Team Rocket. And judging by the fact that she came alone—without any League officers—what did that mean?
It meant she was here to wipe them out. Personally.
As for fighting back…
Much as he hated to admit it, Archer knew he wasn't even close to Lorelei's level. Not at all.
He'd fought her once in the past, and her strength had already surpassed what was expected of the Elite Four. It wasn't even a fair fight. Even if all four Team Rocket Generals fought together, Archer doubted they could match her.
"She's Lorelei of the Elite Four!"
Unlike Archer and the rest of Team Rocket, Brock, Misty, and the other passengers all looked overjoyed at Lorelei's arrival.
Lorelei was a household name in Kanto. There was hardly anyone who didn't recognize her.
Only three people didn't share that joy—Caitlin, Green, and Red.
Caitlin and Green understood that even an Elite Four member wouldn't necessarily be a match for Lucas. As for Red…
He was frowning deeply. He could feel Lorelei's power, and he was now wondering—if he teamed up with her, could they create an opportunity for the other passengers to escape?
"Quite the large-scale operation, it seems. And look at this little cockroach we've caught."
Lorelei adjusted her glasses, her icy gaze finally locking onto Archer. A cold, cruel smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
So many Team Rocket members in one place, and even a high-ranking executive?
Worth the effort of tracking them down.
"Dewgong—Blizzard."
She didn't waste a single word. Her tone was flat and emotionless.
Chit-chat with these Team Rocket scum? Please. Lorelei had no such intention.
Freeze them all.
Trash like Team Rocket didn't deserve to exist.
A Dewgong emerged from behind her, opening its mouth slightly as terrifying cold surged forward.
In the next moment, a roaring Blizzard swept out, surging straight toward Archer.
But a wide-area move like Blizzard was almost impossible to control completely—it was bound to hit others around.
"Get out of the way!"
Brock's pupils shrank. He yanked Misty and sprinted to the side, knowing full well they were within the attack range.
Just think of that poor Team Rocket grunt who had been instantly frozen!
And even though Brock reacted fast—Blizzard was even faster.
Fortunately, just as the storm was about to engulf them, a shimmering layer of psychic-Green energy enveloped Brock and Misty, teleporting them away at the last second.
A split second later—whoosh!
The Blizzard swept past!
Misty stared in horror at the raging storm. Had they not moved in time, they would've been buried alive in that snowstorm!
"Thank you, Lady Caitlin…"
Brock was shaken. He quickly bowed in gratitude toward Caitlin.
It had been her Metagross that used Psychic to pull them to safety.
"You're welcome." Caitlin smiled softly and shook her head. But then her brows knit slightly as she glanced at Lorelei, whose expression hadn't changed one bit.
Was it an accident? Did she not notice Brock and Misty? Or… did she simply not care?
Caitlin thought deeply, and her frown only deepened.
Because she suspected—it was definitely the latter.
If so… then Lorelei was dangerous.
"Houndoom—Flamethrower!"
Seeing the incoming Blizzard, Archer shouted the command.
Houndoom opened its jaws and unleashed a torrent of intense flames, surging straight toward the icy storm.
The fire and frost collided midair with a thunderous clash.
But very quickly, to Archer's horror, the fire—which should've countered Ice—was being overwhelmed by the blizzard.
In the end, the flames were completely devoured by the storm, which continued rushing toward him.
"…Gardevoir."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, casually calling out.
Gardevoir let out a melodic hum. Her deep Green eyes lit up, unleashing a surge of invisible psychic force.
A translucent barrier of Psychic energy rose in front of the Blizzard.
But that thin barrier… the terrifying storm couldn't break through it. It was held at bay, entirely neutralized.
"…Oh?"
Lorelei's icy gaze wavered slightly for the first time. A Trainer strong enough to do that?
The storm finally dissipated, but the area it had swept through was now coated in a thick layer of frost and snow.
The temperature in the hall… had dropped even lower.
"So cold…"
Ash wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing his exposed skin for warmth. He and Red hadn't been directly hit, but the air that reached them made it feel like they were standing in the Arctic.
"Go join Misty and Brock," Red said, frowning.
"…Alright. Be careful, Red." Ash bit his lip, which had turned pale from the cold, and gave Red a serious warning.
He knew he couldn't help here.
"Don't worry. You be careful too—get out of the hall."
Red patted Ash's shoulder, then turned his eyes to Lorelei.
That Blizzard just now…
Red's brows tightened. Was it unintentional?
For some reason, a bad feeling crept up inside him. Maybe Lorelei's appearance wasn't just a blessing.
"The Kanto Elite Four really are terrifying… but so this is what it means."
In the back, leaning against the wall, Rose's deep eyes flickered as he observed Lorelei's icy presence.
Based on what she'd just shown, she was clearly beyond the level of an Elite Four member.
And Lorelei wasn't even the strongest among the rumored "Four Strongest Elites in the World." But now… it no longer felt like a rumor.
Even Rose had to admit it now.
He also knew Lorelei and Champion Lance had always held extremely hardline views toward Team Rocket.
But this wasn't just hardline anymore—this was fanaticism.
Because Rose was certain—that Blizzard earlier wasn't an accident.
She had deliberately disregarded those two people's lives.
The chill Lorelei radiated… Rose could feel it all too clearly.
That kind of cold, etched into her very bones.
In her eyes, those two people were as insignificant as ants. Her only targets were Archer and the Team Rocket grunts.
"You're with Team Rocket too?"
Lorelei stepped fully into the hall, completely blocking the entrance, her gaze falling on Lucas as she spoke coldly.
"Lucas Blackthorn, Team Rocket's strongest Executive."
He smiled calmly, bowing slightly in greeting, the corner of his mouth curved into an effortless smirk.
"Strongest… Executive?" Lorelei's brows twitched. She'd never heard of such a title within Team Rocket.
And more importantly—
"You're from the Blackthorn Clan? What's your relationship to Lance?"
She narrowed her eyes again.
She had every reason to ask. After all, her colleague was none other than Champion Lance Blackthorn.
"Of course I'm from the Blackthorn Clan. As for Champion Lance…" Lucas's smile deepened, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "By blood, he's actually my cousin."
Hearing that, the entire hall froze—this time, not from the cold, but from shock.
The air seemed to pause.
The Rocket Executive… was Champion Lance's cousin!?
What kind of twisted situation is this!?
Red, Misty, Brock, and the others all looked stunned.
An older cousin who hates Team Rocket to the core… and a younger cousin who's one of its most powerful executives?
Talk about awkward family reunions.
Even Caitlin and Green, hiding in the corner, stared oddly at Lucas. They knew he was from the Blackthorn Clan, but hadn't known he was directly related to Lance.
One could only imagine Lance's face when he found out.
"Lance's cousin, huh?" Lorelei murmured, caught off guard for a moment.
But then her expression grew even colder.
"To think someone from Lance's family would join Team Rocket and protect this filth…"
Her voice cut like a dagger.
It was precisely because he was Lance's cousin that she found it even more unforgivable.
She believed Lance would feel the same.
In that case… she would do the job for him.
Lorelei tossed out another Poké Ball. A Lapras appeared beside Dewgong.
"As Lance's cousin, I'll make sure you feel no pain. Your sins… will freeze along with you."
"Blizzard!"
The icy command rang out, and both Lapras and Dewgong radiated bone-chilling cold.
"Oh?" Lucas raised an eyebrow, an ominous smirk forming on his lips.
Freeze me? That's a bold claim.
The next moment—an overwhelming Blizzard surged through the hall, devouring everything in its path.
She hadn't even tried to avoid hitting the others.
Caitlin and Red had the same thought:
This was no accident. That was deliberate.
She didn't care about the passengers' lives at all.
"Get back!" Caitlin called to Ash and the others.
Lorelei was terrifyingly powerful, and Ice-type moves were even more dangerous—silent, creeping, and chilling to the bone.
Even if the attack didn't hit directly, the falling temperatures alone could freeze them solid.
Distance was their only defense.
"She really doesn't give a damn, huh?" Lucas noticed it too and sneered.
"Gardevoir—Psychic."
"Voir~"
Gardevoir raised her arms, and a strong wave of psychic energy rippled out, clashing with the incoming Blizzard.
The two forces collided in midair, sending shockwaves throughout the hall, clothes flapping violently in the wind.
As the energy finally calmed, Lucas looked at Lorelei with a faint smile.
"Is this really, okay? There are more than just Team Rocket members here, Lorelei. If you go all-out, they're going to get hurt."
At his words, the other passengers—already shivering—looked at Lorelei with pleading eyes.
It was getting unbearable. If they froze to death before the bad guys were defeated, that'd be one hell of a joke.
Lorelei returned their gazes with frigid indifference.
And the ridiculous thing was—not a single person dared look her in the eye.
Not one.
She smirked coldly.
Do they expect me to protect this trash? Am I supposed to hold back for them?
(End of Chapter)